Windows XP Media Center 2005 Edition won't play divx or mpeg

[ninja_pimp]

I just finished installing windows xp media center 2005 edition on a computer which is connected to a plasma tv. previously it had windows xp pro and after i installed the ace codecs video pack, i could play any video file format with no problem.
however xp media center has a different kind of video mode. when i'm in xp media mode, and try to play a video, say a divx or mpeg, avi and such it acts like its going to play and then asks me if i which to restart it. nothing plays, it just jumps to the end as if it played when in fact nothing played.
whats the trick to get xp media center to recognize file formats and to make it play?
does anyone have experience with xp media center?

[redwudz]

Media center is different, but you still need the proper codecs. I would run AVIcodec and see what is on the system or check the video you want to play to see if the necessary codecs are installed. I'd also advise to stay away from codec packs, they usually cause more problems than they cure. Just install codecs as needed.

[rallynavvie]

A lot of the codec packs won't work with the MCE app. Some of my older DivX backups will actually BSOD the system. MCE is a lot pickier on the codecs you choose and the media files you play. You do need to get a good MPEG2 codec like nVidia's or Cyberpower's, the "free" MPEG2 decoders don't always work. They're also still working on QT support. DivX 5 files should work with the licensed DivX codec though. I can play back DivX 5.x, MPEG1 or MPEG2, and WMV files no problems. XviD gives a lot of problems though.

[ninja_pimp]

rallynavvie - i've put mce2005 and not one video works...they all caused media center to just terminate and i end up back at the desktop.
the ace codec pack i use works great as i've used it on many other computers here. but media center has its own video thing going as i can see my tv flicker several times like looking for a video mode. so far it wont play divx 5 movies, nor do simple mpeg, which i find odd.
i looked buy i could not find any free support or anything on MS website that explained the problems i'm having, nor is there any faq in relation to using mce as a video source playback for all media filetypes.??
its ludicrious, like i'm suppose to use it only for dvds. but i'm a huge movie freak and i've downloaded thousands of movies in divx, mpeg and vob format. the media center video just won't play anything nor is there any helkp from ms website. so frustrasting.
well
i know what the fix is though
i install power dvd 6
and use the open file from that app feature and i can then watch anything. but alas its a serious comfort price...power dvd interface is meant for a pc not for a TV, meaning all the file names, directoties appear tiny on my tv and i can't make them out, frustrating, cuz it works but it was not meant to be used sitting 15 feet away from it.
the media center does a great job of using Tivo like menus which make it easy to go back and forth, espeically if ya get the windows mce remote.

I assure you, I've installed proper codecs. i mean they work perfect on all my other win xp machines. this one with mce2005 simply closes out, or acts like it played the whole thing in 1 sec.

is there some method to figure out exactly which codecs mce needs to playback divx, avi, mpeg files and other popular formats? the ms website has nothing about this and this is so critical.
i hate bill gates, he so dumb.

[ninja_pimp]

rallynavvie - i installed those 2 codecs and i'll test it now to see if it works or not. thx for the tip. i wanna make this mce work cuz the menu interface is badass

i mean, if i go to the store and spend say 2k on some fancy HP mce computer, and i bring back home, will it play all my video files on my network or will i get same problem i'm having now?

[ninja_pimp]

well, tried them and niether one works. yet you say it worked for you?
whats the trick. if i try to play a divx movie screen zooms in, goes black, flickers, a pause then i'm bhack tot he mce window and it says finished, yet nothing played?? odd it thinks it played it. if I try to play an mpeg file, it causes mce to terminate and i arrive to my desktop.
i'm getting the impression mce is only for ppl with tv tuner cards and those who play dvd discs.

sorry but i'd rather ISO up my movie collection throw it onto my raid array server and just play movies from mce by picking the folder.

i'm so dissapointed in MCE.

[rallynavvie]

No, but if you buy an OEM you'd likely have a tech support line to call for issues like this. Dunno if it's worth the cost though.

I built mine out of my last workstation. Put a clean copy of MCE 05 on it, used the nVidia DVD Decoder for MPEG2 playback (came with my NVTV tuner card), and DivX 5 for DivX support. I also installed a copy of QT Pro on it (even payed for another serial for it) but since the MCE app is based on Media Player 10 it just doesn't do QT yet. WMV support is built into Windows so no issues there. I made sure to put AVICodec on there to check which codecs were being used on some older backups I had when I was using XviD to encode. XviD just doesn't seem to work with its legit codec, it actually BSODs my computer so count yourself lucky yours just crashes to the desktop.

Since most of my backups are ripped ISOs of my DVDs I don't have a lot of other formats to test compatability so I can't help you there. If you do a clean install of MCE and only install DivX and PowerDVD (for the MPEG2 codec) you should be able to use MCE with DivX 5.x, WMV, MPEG, and DVD playback. You should be looking for a remote and a PVR to get the most of the OS. One of my favorite MCE apps is called "My Movies". It's a freeware app available here:
http://www.binnerup.dk/mce/mymovies.htm
You install DaemonTools as an ISO mounter, copy your DVDs with DVD Decrypter to ISO and store them on your HDD. Then you use My Movies in MCE to access all of those saved DVDs, it even adds cover art, actors, directors, and a rating system to it all tied into a movie database similar to adding CD data from CDDB. Very cool app, but of course it requires its toll of hard drive space.

Check out The Green Button for more useful MCE info:
www.thegreenbutton.com

[ninja_pimp]

rallynavvie - great tips there. i will try that movie app, thats mega helpful.
i've formatted this pc twice now and iu'm on my third and the 2nd time i did it, i was frustrsatred with video playback and the fact mce crashes constantly. when i go into some folders it crashes. its fully up to date and there are no conflics and HCL says it should work fine with my hp 2gz petium.
if i just install divx, it wont play it. it thinks it played the whole thing in 1 sec.
then i try to play mpeg and did several common codecs but no luck.
this nvidia dvd codec, how does one get it? i hvae a geforce ti 4800.

i mean, power dvd works fine, win dvd works too, divx player works. but mce simply won't play anything i have online. I have ripped hundreds of dvds, i used dr divx this way i can fit thousands. the quality is really good with divx, it may not be a 4gb vob movie but alot of movies don't need hi bitrate. for action m,ovies like troy, i just iso it up as a dvd.
i like daemon tools, been using them forever